A ROYAL expert has told that the King is following in the late Queen’s footsteps by stoically meeting with Harry despite all the damage he’s done.
The Sun’s royal expert praised the monarch’s efforts at reconciling with his estranged son in the meeting held yesterday evening.
The father and son reunited at Clarence House, London yesterday[/caption]
Prince Harry was spotted arriving at 5:21pm[/caption]
This comes after King Charles, 76, met with Prince Harry, 40, for their first face-to-face chat in 19 months on Wednesday.
Royal historian, Hugo Vickers told The Sun: “I think the King has been brilliant at keeping the door open all this time.
“He’s never responded to any jives thrown against him.”
Mr Vickers continued: “It is very important for people in this world to conciliate.”
The pair met in Clarence House, London, after the King flew from Balmoral to make time between three official audiences and State work.
Prior to this, The Duke of Sussex had not seen his father since he flew back for 30 minutes last February, after the King’s cancer announcement.
The expert explained that the King’s approach to the meeting echoes that of his mother.
He added that the late Queen’s message all through her reign was, “we cannot change the past, but we can build bridges to the future.”
Mr Vickers also told The Sun what he believes was discussed between the father and son during their 55 minute long reunion.
He said: “I am sure both of them will be feeling better for having had this meeting.
“Where it actually leads to, who knows? But it is a step in the right direction.
“I can see nothing except positive things out of the meeting.”
Mr Vickers also described Harry as having “a lot of emotional baggage.”
The expert said: “One of the problems I have always seen on this issue is that Prince Harry has been saying for a long time, oh, my family has to apologise to me.
“Well, that’s not how I see it. I think he has to apologise to them.
“He is the one who has been saying unpleasant things about them and making trouble. And they haven’t.”
On the possibility of returning to royal duties, Mr Vickers gave a definitive no, ruling out the prospect.
Mr Vickers told The Sun: “I don’t think he particularly wants to.
“And I think if he did, it would be a major distraction because everything that Prince Harry does attracts publicity.”
Royal experts have praised the King’s approach to the meeting[/caption]
Their reunion lasted just under an hour[/caption]
Harry was pictured pulling into the royal residence in a suit on Wednesday evening[/caption]
The Sun also spoke with royal author and expert Ingrid Seward, who said this was a meeting that “had to happen.”
She said: “The meeting needed to take place and the opportunity was there.
“I don’t think anything terribly important will have been discussed.”
She explained that if you haven’t seen or spoken to someone in 19 months, you are not going to jump into the deep end and get into a very involved conversation.
She continued to describe King Charles as a “real softy” who would have greeted his son with warmth.
She also echoed Mr Vickers, telling The Sun that Charles is “very like his mother, the late queen, who didn’t like moral confrontation and would do anything she could to avoid it.”
Ms Seward continued: “Whereas Philip was much more to the point. But I think Charles is very like his mother.
“So this is not a happy situation for him to be in.”
When questioned on the possibility of the family being reunited for good, she explained that is very hard to know.
She added: “I don’t think the rest of the royal family are that keen to be reunited with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, because they’ve said some really hurtful things.
“Obviously, the King has to pave the way first and he needed to see his son.”
Ms Seward touched upon the King’s want to see his grandchildren too.
She explained that he is now almost 77 and has only met Archie and Lily a handful of times.
The father and son’s reunion lasted less than an hour as the King squeezed in the tea party with his youngest between key audiences and important State work.
The Duke of Sussex’s Range Rover was seen pulling into the royal residence at 5.21pm – with suit-clad Harry in the back seat.
The meeting then proceeded to last for 55 minutes, with Harry spotted leaving at 6.14pm.
‘MISSION ACCOMPLISHED’
By Matt Wilkinson, The Sun’s Royal Editor
FOR all of Harry’s multiple appearances in front of the camera this week he only had one Mission:Impossible – to be seen meeting his father.
The Duke has faced every camera possible since landing on Monday and followed the late Queen’s mantra being seen to be believed rather than his post-Megxit stance of being seen to be aggrieved.
Charles gave him only one small window of opportunity as he was due to fly down from Balmoral on Wednesday afternoon for a series of audiences.
And Harry, who had a three-hour gap in the afternoon between events nine miles either side of London during Tube strikes, grabbed it.
It is not important that the meeting between father and son only lasted only 53 minutes – which is almost double the time he got 19 months ago.
It is not even important to know what they spoke about during their ‘private tea’.
What is important for Harry is that he makes the world aware that the King invited him for tea and he accepted.
This is no end of a rift, it isn’t heralding Harry’s return to the UK and is not the King forgiving his son for five years of trashing the Royals.
But Harry has barely paused for breath this week including hugging with sick children, giving a jig at a community centre, making several speeches and even donating £1.1m to Children In Need.
And if he had flown home today without seeing the King it would for Harry the trip would have been a failure and a disaster.
Instead for the California-based royal who has thrown on his family for the past five years he will feel its mission accomplished.
King Charles holds an audience with Mr. Manfred Goldberg at 4:40pm[/caption]
Prince Harry also paid a visit to the Center for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College, London[/caption]
He attended the Invictus games bash after the catch-up[/caption]
